Fast thinking provides a rush, psychologists find

If you're in a mild holiday funk, try writing down all your gripes in 60 seconds. Or read aloud Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" as quickly as possible.

You'll feel better, say a team of psychologists who found that fast thinking doesn't just get you out of a jam; it actually can make you happier, more energetic, more creative, more powerful and more self-assured.

Fast thinking has been linked to mood in clinical cases of mania. So Princeton University's Emily Pronin and Daniel Wegener of Harvard studied what might be called "mania light": the racing thoughts that all healthy people experience at some point by doing things such as brainstorming or learning about a new and exciting concept.

Using the equivalent of a streaming news "crawl," the text that scrolls by at the bottom of the television screen, the researchers found that people felt better when the statements were read at a faster pace, regardless of content. Even thinking sad thoughts at a rapid pace made people relatively happy, according to the article published in Psychological Science.

Thought-speed manipulations might be useful if you're feeling tired or downcast and also might help treat depression, which is characterized by slow thinking, the researchers said. To do it at your desk, think quickly, but pick topics that aren't too challenging. Solve an easy crossword. List as many cities as you can think of in 60 seconds. Or brainstorm names for that restaurant you want to open.

If that fails, sprint down the hallway or drop to the floor and do 10 push-ups. Exercise is a terrific mood enhancer.

Writing the book on food as medicine

Imagine having your primary-care doctor test your blood for nutritional deficiencies and then receiving a prescription for a certain food, based on your genes, your pre-existing conditions and the prescription drugs you take.

It's all possible, said Dr. Ingrid Kohlstadt of Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, who is creating a groundbreaking medical nutrition book to help doctors treat disease.

The 650-page reference guide, which draws on both traditional and alternative approaches, will address 60 medical conditions ranging from heart disease and diabetes to male infertility, kidney stones and autism. It's the first medical nutrition book to emphasize whole foods over isolated nutrients.

Keith Block, medical director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care in Evanston, will contribute a chapter on breast cancer treatment, and Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, will write a section on chemosensory disorders, which involve smell and taste.

The book, titled "Food and Nutrients in Disease Management," will also cover food and drug interactions, nutrient laboratory testing, how dietary patterns alter medication dosing, and adverse effects from certain herbs and supplements. "The amount of interaction between nutrients and prescription medications is significant but not well communicated [by doctors]," said Kohlstadt, who has practiced nutritional medicine on every continent, including Antarctica. "Food and nutrients are a powerful component of the treatment that doctors can provide."

The bad news is it's not available until 2009.

A gift for someone with food allergies

If you want to do something nice for someone with food allergies this season, sign up for the Food Allergy Study at Children's Memorial Hospital. All ages are needed, even without allergies, because a control group is needed.

Food allergies are on the rise, and the victims are getting younger. At Children's, researchers are looking at how environment and genetics can influence how allergies develop.

What's involved? A questionnaire interview about environmental exposures, diet, lifestyle and specific allergies; a clinical evaluation including height, weight, blood pressure and lung function; a small blood sample; and an allergy skin test. You'll be compensated with a gift certificate and they'll provide toys and games to keep kids occupied.